Process of producing hydrogen.



- No Drawing.

a UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

CARL Boson Ann IWILHELM WILD, or LUDWIGSHAFEN-ON-THE-RHINE,- cranium,

.assrenons r BADISOHE ANILIN asona FABRIK, or LUDWIGSEAFEN-ON-THE- RHINE, GERMANY, A. CORPORATION.

p To all whom it may ciiccrn Be it known that we, CARL Boson and WILHELM WILD, citizens of the German Em ire, residing at Ludwigshafen-onethe Rhiue, ermany, have invented new and'useful Imgrovements in the Process of Producing I-Tyrogen, of which the following is a specification.

It is that carbon ,monoxid and steam can be converted into carbon dioxidand hydrogen by means of catalytic agents, and that the'reaction takes placewith the evolution of heat, but in order to carry out the process on a practical scaleit is necessary first toraisevthe apparatus to a temerature requisite to start the reaction.

ven if the process be carried out in such a manner that the heat generated during the reaction is caused to heat up the gases about to enter the reaction chamber, variations of temperature occur when the process is carried out continuously, and it is consequently often necessary to supply to the apparatus,

during the reaction, heat over and above contact with, or on their way to, the cata-- lytic agent, the said oxygen entering into combination with the combustible gases and providing the required heat. Instead of pure oxygen, air can be employed in those cases where the presence of nitrogen in admixture .with the hydrogen is not objectionable, for instance when the hydrogen obtained is to be employed for the catalytic production of ammonia. According to our invention, it is possible to supply the necessary heat in a most convenient manner and also to distribute the heat equally and thus maintain' the temperature. at the desired level. When-water gas or other gas con- 'taining hydrogen and carbon monoxid is employed as a gas supplying carbin monoxid, and the oxygen introduced combines w1th a Specification of Letters Patent.

rnocnss or rnonucmo HYDROGEN.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed April 19, 1913. Serial m5. 762,344.

part of the hydrogen to form steam, the lat-- ter can again take part in the reaction, and

consequently the amount of steam employed can be-cor respondingly reduced. We prefor to supply the oxygen, or the air, directly to the contact space and it can be supplied at one or more than one place as desired.

The process of the present invention can be carried out either with pure carbon monoxid or with carbon. monoxid which'is more or less diluted with other gases, and it is of particular use when it is desired to free a mixture of gases, such for instance as water gas, from carbon monoxid, since the conver- 'sion of the carbon monoxid into carbon dioxid sets free hydrogen which mixes with the hydrogen of the water gas. It is then onlynecessary to remove the carbon dioxid and any excess of steam, in order to produce pure hydrogen.

Our process ofiers great advantages when gases are employed which contain relatively little carbon monoxid, because, in this case, the heat of reaction is small and the difficulties incidental to supplying heat from the outside are consequently much exaggerated. Further in this case the supply of oxygen can be so regulated that, duringthe combustion, sufficient steam is formed to enable the whole of the carbon monoxid to be oxidized passing oxygen into the catalytic chamber in order to produce heat by combustion in the said chamber.

2. The process of producing hydrogen mixed with nitrogen by causing carbon mon-' oxid and steam to react in the presence of a hot catalytic agentand passing air into the catalytic cha mber in order to produce heat by combustion in the said chamber.

3. The process of producing hydrogen by causing carbon monoxid and steam to react in the presence of a hot catalytic agent and maintaining the necessary-temperature for the reaction by causing oxygen to combine with a combustible gas in the chamber containing the catalytic agent.

- 4. In the process ofproducing hydrogen by causing carbon monoxid and steam to containing the carbon monoxid in the presence of the catalytic agent, thereby utilizing the heat of combustion to maintain the catalytic agent at a temperature suitable for the reaction between the steam an the carbon monoxid.

-5. In the process of producing hydrogen by causing carbon monoxid and steam to react in the presence of a hot catalytic agent,

the step which consists in supplying oxygen to a plurality of places in the catalytic chamber in order to produce heat by combustion 15 in the said chamber.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two sub- Y J. ALEC. LLOYD,

JOSEPH PFEIFFER. 

